


Unrequited Woes

by Scribbling Mama (melgibson87)



Series: AU August 2018 [19]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU August, AU Yeah AUgust (Miraculous Ladybug), Adrien Agreste Knows, Adrien loves Marinette, Alya Césaire Knows, Alya loves Nino, Carapace loves Rena Rouge, Confessions, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Ladybug loves Chat Noir, Misunderstandings, POV Adrien Agreste, POV Alya Césaire, POV Marinette Dupain-Cheng, POV Nino Lahiffe, Requited Love, Reverse Crush AU, Unrequited Love, identity reveals, obliviousness all around, reverse crush, two love squares involved
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 20:03:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15736419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melgibson87/pseuds/Scribbling%20Mama
Summary: Carapace and Ladybug are in the same boat, loving their oblivious teammates and suffering from unrequited love. They've been in love since they met their respective partners/teammates. Desperate, they decide on a plan that includes learning who their loves are through the help of Master Fu.Adrien and Alya have been in a similar boat as they've fallen hard for their classmates, Nino and Marinette. Now, as luck would have it, they soon discover they know their friends' secrets as superheroes. Adrien wants to tell Marinette right away, but something keeps holding both him and Alya back.Will these four ever get together or will they remain clueless for all time? What will happen when truths come out and discoveries are made?





	Unrequited Woes

**Author's Note:**

> Day 19 of AU Yeah August. Reverse Crush AU. I decided to change it up a bit and tackle both love squares of Adrinette and DJWifi with all sides. I have plans on them interacting in their various sides throughout the story. At least, that's the plan as I work out the details of this story.

 

Sinking down next to the turtle-themed superhero, Marinette heaved out a great sigh, her gaze traveling along the path her first partner and crush, Chat Noir, had taken across the city's rooftops. She could still make out the faint shouts of glee he let out as he hurried home. 

Ignoring the beeping of her earrings for a moment, she whispered to her new teammate, "It's not fair, is it? We love them yet they don't know we even exist."

"I don't know what you mean." Carapace's words would have meant more if his gaze wasn't following the path Rena Rouge had taken toward her own home.

A smile stole across Marinette's face as she turned an amused glance in his direction, clearly showing she knew he couldn't hide his feelings from her. She knew that expression he wore, having witnessed it a number of times on her face after seeing Chat head off. 

"Rena's cute, isn't she?" Nudging his shoulder, she offered him a soft look as her gaze moved toward the home of her civilian friend, Alya, knowing the young superhero should be home and de-transformed by then.

"She's more than cute, LB. She's beautiful. I just wished she'd notice me, you know?" His head dropped, allowing his hood to cover his face. "I'm not as flashy as Chat, but I'm still pretty decent if you think about it."

"Yes, you are." Standing, she held out her hand to him, her smile growing as he took it. "Let's get out of here. We'll never get over our respective crushes catching a cold out here. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?"

"I guess you're right." He pulled his shell off and activated its glider function, stepping up as Marinette readied her yo-yo. 

With a toss, she tested her line before swinging off toward her normal route home, her hand saluting Carapace as she went. 

Dropping onto her balcony a few minutes later, she'd barely begun the words to drop her transformation when a message came through on her yo-yo. She pulled it up and caught Carapace's name across the screen, pressing the button to listen to his message.

_"Hey, maybe we can help each other. I may be able to help us out in that regard if we can sweet talk Master Fu anyways."_

_Sweet talk Master Fu? Why would we do that?_

_Identities._

The word teased at her, filling her with a hope she hadn't known she held as she gazed over the railing and caught sight of Carapace heading somewhere relatively close by. She thought she recognized the building the turtle hero entered but shook her head, believing the coincidence too great as she dropped into her room, her transformation falling as she landed upon her bed with a soft thud.

"Marinette, it's not a good idea. Master Fu won't tell you the others' identities for something as silly as a crush," Tikki said, landing in her chosen's outstretched hands, weary yet alert to her chosen's needs as always.

A grimace passed over Marinette, her shoulders hunching as she eyed her kwami with some hope that refused to die. 

"You never know." With a sigh, the young woman flopped back onto her bed, her head cradled by the large cat pillow she loved so much, reminding her of another cat she'd come to care far more about than she thought possible. "It's not fair, Tik. I love him yet I can't get the words to come out of my mouth. It'd help to know who he is under the mask. Maybe then, I could at least tell him and face whatever reaction he had."

"What if it ruins your partnership? It's not worth that kind of risk, Marinette. I'd leave it alone." Softening her tone, the little kwami added, "At least for now."

"Okay, Tik, I'll wait a little bit longer. Besides, it's not like he knows who I am, right?" Her eyes drifted closed as she spoke, exhaustion from patrol and a busy school week catching up to her, drifting to sleep before Tikki could respond.

"If only you knew, my sweet Mari," Tikki whispered, settling into her specially made bed and gazing at the Chat Noir doll on the shelf nearby. "Look, here, you dense cat, you better not hurt her."

With that, she went to bed herself.

 

00000

 

"Alya, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," Adrien whined as he sank into his seat next to the young reporter. "I can't keep this secret from her forever. She's my partner and deserves to know I know who she is. What about Nino? You've been crushing on him forever and I know he's in love with Rena, with you."

Huffing, Alya glanced up from her phone. "That's the problem. He loves the illusions I create as Rena, but he doesn't notice me at all. I'm just a good friend. It's the same for Marinette. She's in love with Chat Noir, but are you so sure she'll accept you as Adrien?"

"Oh, come on, Alya. We're the same people, in and out of the masks. Why wouldn't she love me if I'm the same person? Is that why you don't want to tell Nino yet? Are you afraid?"

A glare met his question as she refused to answer. 

"Hey, I'm just saying he'd be stupid not to love you. He's my best friend and I know he's not that stupid." He moved closer to see what had her attention, his eyes widening at the latest uploaded video to the Ladyblog. Carapace and Ladybug were sitting next to each other on a rooftop, talking between themselves. Based on the time stamp, Adrien frowned as he realized it was the previous evening, right after they'd handled that akuma and finished a group patrol.

What had they been discussing? Could their feelings be changing because of his and Alya's stagnant behavior toward them? Could he handle if Marinette's attention had shifted to Nino because of his obliviousness for too long? 

"I'm telling her tonight, Alya. I'll leave you out of it, but I want her to know the truth."

A movement at the door caught his eye, turning his attention to meet Marinette's soft expression as she walked toward her seat. 

"Hey, Marinette," he called out before his nerves got the better of him.

"Oh, hi, Adrien. How are you?" She paused beside his desk, her hands clutching her books. A soft smile teased at her lips though he'd long since learned that was just her natural expression when she spoke with someone she liked, friend or stranger. It still didn't stop the way his heart rate kicked up at seeing it.

"I, um, I'm doing well. I was, um, I was hoping I could talk to you after school." He took a breath, waiting for her reply, but cutting her off by adding in a rush, "Only if you want, that is. I don't want you to feel obligated or anything. It's not important really. Well, it is, but it can't wait if you're busy."

"Chill out, dude," Alya whispered, her tone amused despite the warning she gave him.

"Sorry," he whispered back. He didn't know who he meant to hear that.

The smile on Marinette's face widened the tiniest bit as she nodded. "My parent's bakery, okay? I know you're usually busy with lessons, but we'll have privacy there. I'll make sure Maman and Papa behave this time, I swear."

"That sounds great. I'll be there."

She walked up the steps, sitting in the chair behind him. Her books made a soft thud behind him.

He fought the urge to turn and watch her, not wanting to appear creepy yet still wanting to catch her smile a final time before class started.

He could make it until the end of the day, right? What're a few more hours before he revealed himself? 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](http://scribblingmama.tumblr.com)
> 
> Update 6/10/19: This story will be completed and is on my list to finish. Right now, I'm working on a schedule to make this happen for all my WIPs. I will update everyone in the near future the progress being made for this story and other WIPs here on AO3.


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